Memories Made Of Gold
by AlfredSamaNoBaka
Summary: After the brutal murder of Arthur Kirkland, Alfred F. Jones is left distraught. How is he expected to make it through this trial, staring at the man who murdered his lover and best friend? USUK, Character Death, Murder, Lemons, Other minor pairings, homophobia, gay bashing, and bullying. Enter with caution.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a little something I thought I would do. Btw, the murderer is just an OC because I couldn't possibly make any of the characters from Hetalia do something so horrible. I hate it when characters like Ivan/Russia are turned into some god awful villain. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. This story will contain USUK, PruCan, Spamano, DenNor, RoChu, and maybe some more random pairings to keep the first half of this story a little bit more light and happy. I am also debating whether or not Alfred should end up with somebody else by the end of this story. I will ask this question later into the story once it comes time for me to start thinking about a love interest. The reason why I ask is because I don't want Alfred to stay completely miserable, but at the same time this is a USUK story, so it might not be all that appropriate. Again, I will ask your opinion once the story progresses a bit more.**

**Warning: This contains murder and homophobia! I am putting a serious trigger warning here! There will be depressing themes, some suicidal themes, a little bit of underage drinking, drug abuse, and some verbal abuse. And some yaoiful lemons. But y'know, this is a yaoi so we can expect that, right?**

**Summary: After the brutal murder of Arthur Kirkland, Alfred F. Jones is left distraught. How is he expected to make it through this trial, staring at the man who murdered his lover and best friend? USUK, Character Death, Murder, Lemons, Other minor pairings, homophobia, gay bashing, and bullying. Enter with caution.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of the characters used in this story... expect the parents of the kids... and the murderer. Oopsie.**

* * *

Alfred F. Jones looked on ahead at the double doors before him with wide, petrified eyes. He was having second thoughts about all of this. He couldn't do it. He couldn't go in there and face the judge and the rest of the court room. He was scared of what he might find in there… and he was scared of what he would do once he would catch glimpse of… of that _murderer._ Alfred felt his throat go dry at the thought of the person that killed the one person in his life that he loved more than himself, and he wanted that person to suffer.

Alfred pursed his lip and quickly turns on his heels, facing the opposite direction of the door, and looking up at the ceiling, feeling nauseous.

"I'm sorry, Arthur… but… but I can't do it… I want to defend your honor but…"

"Who are you talking to, bro?"

Alfred whips his head to the owner of the voice and instantly relaxes when he sees Gilbert standing there in front of him. Alfred takes a deep breath in and shrugs.

"Arthur, I guess. I was apologizing."

Gilbert leans against the door with him and nods his head, "Yeah? For what? It doesn't have anything to do with you being too chicken to go in the court room right?"

Alfred grumbles a little bit and glares at Gilbert, "So what if it is? Dude… the minute I see that guy's face I'm going to go apeshit… I'm already on the edge of insanity. Arthur was the only thing that's ever kept me sane to begin with."

Gilbert's eyes soften. It has been three months since the news of Arthur's murder had reached everybody. The man who killed Arthur was 19 years old and was pretending to be kind and generous to Arthur by giving him a ride home. The details of why Arthur was out and about were still uncertain, but they were hoping to figure out why during this trial. Little did Arthur know, this man wasn't planning on taking Arthur home. He ended up taking Arthur to his house and beating him to death and writing homophobic slurs on Arthur's body with a knife. Arthur was missing for two weeks before the cops finally found his body in the man's tool shed in his back yard. Everybody was heartbroken by the news. Alfred was distraught.

"Listen Alfred, you need to stay strong. Especially for today. You need to hold your head high, walk into that court room, and when they call you to the stand you need to slay that asshole. Obviously, you weren't at the scene of the crime, but your job is to persuade the jury that Arthur didn't deserve this and that guy needs to be punished for his actions. Nobody deserves to die the way Arthur did. You need to make that jury feel sorry for you, for his mother, for his friends and family, and for him. Arthur needs you."

Alfred stayed silent for a while, listening to the yelling and screaming from outside. Of course, there were protesters outside that claimed Arthur was a sinner that deserved to go hell and shit like that. It took everything Alfred had not to punch their lights out on the way inside. How was he going to face the man that actually killed his boyfriend?

"Do you hear that, Gilbert? Those are people that hate Arthur, and they didn't even fucking know him. That guy didn't fucking know Arthur either. What if the jury is just like those people? What if they let that guy _go free?_ I wouldn't be able to handle that… I'll end up being the one on trial in a few months."

Gilbert sighs and looks out at the people holding up signs that were offensive and repulsive. Honestly… Gilbert didn't have the slightest idea how these people could be so inhumane. This was hardly the time or place for a protest.

"Don't let them bother you, Al. They are just douchebags. Remember you're here for Arthur, okay? If the judge let's that guy go free then I'll help you kill him, but for now, try your best. Think of Arthur. You need to avenge him the only way you can, which is by not killing this asshole, but by serving justice in court. If you don't go up to the stand today, then who knows what will happen, okay?" Gilbert gently pushes Alfred to the side so he can go into the room. Alfred catches a glimpse inside. He can see Arthur's side of the room and everybody their too support him and his memory. Half the people are glaring at the defendant's side of the room while the other half is silently grieving (and Alfred could have sworn he saw a tear roll down Lovino's cheek). Alfred didn't have time to catch a glimpse at the defendant's side for the door had already shut.

Alfred quickly straightened out his tie and tried his best to hold back the tears that have been on the brink of falling since the day he caught the news of Arthur's death. He didn't want to cry, because he was scared of being weak. Besides… Arthur hated it when Alfred would cry. It would be an insult to Arthur's memory, right?

'_Just think of Arthur, Alfred… think back of all the times you spent with Arthur. Think of how you met Arthur, and how cute he was. Think of the time you first asked him out. Think of the day you first professed your love to him… You can do this. You can do this. Just think back…'_

_**OoOoOoOoOoOo**_

_**10 years ago…**_

"Alfred sweety! Please be safe! And don't talk to strangers! And make sure you keep Matthew safe!" Lillian Jones kissed both of her boys 'goodbye' and gave them tight hugs, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"M-mom! We'we fine! Just go alweady!" A 6 year old Alfred F. Jones yells at his mother. She gives both of her boys one more peck on the cheek before heading off, and the two boys were officially ready for their first day of first grade.

Alfred F. Jones wasn't necessarily a slow learner, but he had difficulties when it came to words and pronunciations. Unfortunately, the 6 year old had a mild speech impediment that caused him to pronounce his 'r's as 'w's. Because of this, Alfred had to have a private tutor that would meet up with him during lunch on Wednesdays, and she would help him with his pronunciation and speaking.

That was who Alfred was currently meeting for the first time before a piercing cry echoed throughout the room. Alfred turned his attention to the entrance of the classroom to find a small boy, his age, clinging onto his mother and crying his eyes out. His had messy blonde hair and some really large eyebrows that made Alfred giggle.

"Arthur darling, please do not cry. It will only be a few hours and mum will come right back for you, yeah? Please, darling, "A petit red-headed woman with a smooth English accent murmured to the wailing child, trying to sooth him the best she could with her words.

"Rose, how many times have I told you that you can't just baby him like that? He needs to get used to parting with us or he'll never grow up," A burlier man with a thick Scottish accent, blonde hair and bright green eyes lectured.

Rose glared at her husband, while trying to comfort her screaming son, "Edward, he is just a baby. And I don't want him to grow up… he's our youngest. I was the one that suggested we homeschool him. You know how much he hates being away from us."

The man grunts, "I don't see why this is such a problem. Our other boys never acted like this when they started school."

"Well, Arthur isn't Allistor, Patrick, Deryn, or Seamus. He's more sensitive than his brothers, you know that."

"And why do you think that is? It's a result of you babying him. Maybe his brother's wouldn't pick on him so much if you would just let him tough it out and be a man."

Rose sighs and puts Arthur down, struggling a little bit. The small boy only screams louder, causing Alfred's ear drums to nearly bust out. "We'll talk about this later, Edward. First, we need to worry about getting Arthur to let go of me."

After some fighting, a few murmured cuss words, and a very sad good bye, the couple left and their darling son was left wailing on the ground with the teacher not being able to get the little boy to calm down.

Alfred, being the little hero he is, decides to walk on over and inspect the scene more closely. Who was this little kid that insisted on shattering everyone's eardrums?

Once Alfred had reached the little boy he poked him in the side, causing him to jump and look at Alfred with large, fearful green eyes.

"Hey, why awe you cwying? You'we a fwaidy cat?" Alfred beams at the child, who stops crying for a second to inspect Alfred. Arthur's eyes begin to water again and he hiccups.

"I-I'm not a fraidy cat… You're mean."

Alfred frowns and crosses his arms, "I am not mean. I'm just twying to help," suddenly Alfred gets an idea and pulls Arthur into a nice and firm hug, "Shh… It's okay! The hewo is hewe to help you! Don't cwy!"

Arthur begins to blush violently, but allows Alfred to hug him. After a while, Arthur started to hug back. Once Arthur had calmed down a bit more the two boys began to play in a corner.

Above them, the teacher is watching fondly, already predicting the start of an amazing friendship.

And it was.

The two kids would play on the playground together, they would have play dates, and sometimes their parents would allow them to have a sleepover. Arthur's mother adored Alfred. She doted over the young boy as if he were her own son. Arthur's father was also very fond of Alfred. He thought of Alfred as the ideal son, and figured Alfred would whip his own son into shape and get him interested in boy things.

Arthur loved to draw. He especially loved to draw supernatural things, like unicorns, mermaids, and fairies. Of course, Arthur kept this as secret as possible, knowing that he would be made fun of for this hobby of his.

But, one day, Alfred had found a drawing in Arthur's sketchbook while over at Arthur's house.

"Hey, Awtie, what's this?" Alfred asked as he looked at the picture of a fairy sitting on top of a rock, overlooking a lake.

Arthur blushed once he realized what Alfred was referring to and he quickly snatched the book from Alfred's hands.

"N-nothing! Forget about it okay? And stop calling me that. My name is Arthur. You need to learn how to pronounce your 'r's better."

Alfred pouts and crosses his arms angrily, "Hey! I was just asking what is in that book!"

Arthur sighs and opens the book to reveal his drawings to his friend, "Fine, but don't tell anybody. I like to draw fairies. I think they are really cool."

Alfred's eyes lit up, "Wow! You awe weally good! Dwaw for me please! I want a pictuwe too!"

Arthur smiles and is grateful for the fact that Alfred wasn't going to make fun of Arthur for his rather hobby. "Really? You think I'm good?"

Alfred nodded and Arthur began to draw a picture for Alfred. This time, he drew a gargoyle, knowing that Alfred would like something a bit more boyish, since fairies didn't really seem to suit his style.

This continued for a while until Arthur's father had gotten a hold of the sketchbook one evening. "Arthur, darling! Come down for dinner!"

Arthur was busy drawing a picture of a mermaid when his mother started to call for him, "Hold on! Let me finish something first!"

Unfortunately for poor Arthur, his father had come upstairs to get him, and had noticed him drawing something.

"Arthur, what are you doing?"

Arthur's head shot up and he quickly closed the sketchbook. His father raises one thick eyebrow at the small child as Arthur started to defend his actions, "N-nothing father! I wasn't doing anything!"

His father gave him a bright smile, "Oh, I see. You can't tell me what it is, huh? Were you drawing a girl? Does my little Arthur have a girlfriend now?"

Edward reaches for the sketchbook and grabs it from the child and starts flipping through the pages. His smile immediately drops when he notices the picture of the fairies, mermaids, unicorns, and so many _girly _things. Arthur's heart sank when he saw his father's shocked expression.

"Arthur, what is this?" Edward's stern voice roared throughout the child's room, making Arthur shiver.

"A picture of a fairy, father…"

"And why are you drawing a fairy? You are a boy. Only girls draw things like fairies, Arthur."

"B-but, father…"

"Rose! Get up here!"

Arthur's eyes started to tear up as his father started ripping through the pages of the notebook.

"What is it, love? Oh Edward! What are you doing?"

Edward shoves one of the pictures of a fairy in Rose's face, "Look, Rose! This is your entire fault! You've been reading him those stupid fairytales and putting these girlish ideas in his head! I want all of his books gone by tomorrow! And we are signing him up for a sport! I have had enough of my son acting like a little girl! He is a boy and he needs to start acting like one!"

Rose frowns, "Edward, please listen to yourself. He is just expressing himself."

Edward growls, "You think I'm going to sit back and let my son turn into some… _fag_? He's drawing fairies, Rose! What's next? Is he going to start playing with barbies? Start dressing up as a girl? Next thing you know he'll start saying he is one! I refuse to be a parent of one of _those_ children!"

Rose scrambles over to her now crying child, trying to calm him.

"Edward! How dare you make assumptions like that! He is only six! Let him have an imagination!"

There was an awkward silence in the room for the longest time. The only things heard were Edward's angry breathing, Arthur's quiet sobs, and the sound three other boys whispering and listening in on the other side of the door.

"Like, I said. We are putting Arthur in football tomorrow. No more of those stories and books. Arthur is going to grow up to be a fine and respectable young man with a girlfriend. That is final."

And with that, Edward left the room.

As promised, Arthur was signed up for football. Alfred seemed happy at first, but Arthur explained that it wasn't the American football that Alfred was involved in, but what Alfred called 'soccer'. That seemed to be the more appropriate term in this country.

Arthur hated 'soccer' with a passion. He didn't like getting dirty, and he would always fall and scrape his knees. But despite not liking the sport, he was surprisingly talented at it, much to the pleasure of his father. Even though Arthur was naturally talented at soccer, he resented it due to the circumstances and the fact he was forced to join in exchange for his precious books and his drawings. Alfred was always curious as to why Arthur stopped drawing, but whenever he would ask, Arthur just told him that it wasn't any of his business.

Arthur tried his best to mold himself into the ideal son his father wanted him to be, but it was hard. Arthur always found a way to make his father disapprove of his actions. From practicing embroidery with his mother, to playing 'House' with Alfred and posing as the 'mother', Alfred as the 'father', and Arthur's stuffed bunny as their baby.

Even when Arthur thought he was doing the right thing, he would always seem to mess up and upset his father with something he would say or with something he would do. It wasn't until middle school, after an accident during one of Arthur's football games, that things started to change within the Kirkland family.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for your input you guys! Since you all asked so nicely and gave me some pretty good advice, Alfred will most likely not have another love interest. I do have something else planned for him instead though, so yay! This chapter will contain a small near death experience, but yeah. I needed an excuse for Arthur to quit football and an excuse for Alfred to cry... you'll find o****ut why. It all makes sense and ties together eventually. Or maybe it already makes sense. Who knows. Cookies, anyone?**

* * *

_**Present Day**_

Alfred slowly opens the doors to the court room and rushes over to Matthew, and takes a seat. Matthew takes in his brother's shaken appearance and sighs. Matthew has been trying to convince Alfred that he is allowed to cry for Arthur, but the other would vehemently refuse and tell him that crying is for the damsel in distress. Matthew could tell that Alfred was starting to reach his breaking point and now was a shit time for that to happen since Alfred, along with a few others, were going to be called up to the stand at some point during the trial. Alfred needed to keep his composure more than anybody else.

"Alfred, it will be ok," Matthew whispers, "All you have to do is tell the truth, okay? It isn't even certain if you will even be called up to the stand today. You might be called up at the next trial. Just relax, Alfred."

Alfred just nods, looking around nervously, "Where is he?"

Matthew raises an eyebrow, "Who? Oh… the murderer… you should know that they are going to bring him in separate, right? He is being detained after all."

Alfred shrugs and looks down back at Gilbert who is sitting in the back row. Alfred looks to his brother and raises an eyebrow, "Why isn't Gilbert sitting with you, Mattie?"

Matthew huffs and his eyes narrow, "We are currently not on speaking terms. We had a small fight the other day, but don't worry about that Alfred. You have bigger things to focus on."

"Oh, Alfred!" Suddenly, Alfred is pulled into a tight hug and is forced onto his feet. Alfred doesn't realize what is going on until he notices the long red hair and slim figure, "I-I'm so glad you made it!"

Alfred gently hugs the older woman, "Don't worry, Mrs. Kirkland, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Rose Kirkland slowly pulls away and dries her eyes, "Call me Rose, Alfred. I'm divorcing my husband. I'll no longer be going by Kirkland."

Alfred's eyes nearly shoot out of their sockets, "Wait, what? You're divorcing lieutenant douchebag? Why?"

Her bottom lip trembles, "The stress of Arthur's death is putting too much tension on our relationship. As well as the fact that I can't forgive the way he treated Arthur. The hate he showed Arthur is the same hate that ended up killing him in the end, and I think he realizes it and is willing to change his ways but he can't help but be an asshole about this trial. He believes that maybe Arthur was seeking relations with this man, which we both know wasn't the case. Arthur would never cheat on you. Edward can be so heartless…"

Alfred physically shuddered at the thought of Arthur seeking out somebody else for things that he is supposed to provide him. But Rose was right… Arthur would never cheat on Alfred. He was too loyal and dependent on Alfred. But still… Alfred couldn't help but feel uneasy about why Arthur was out to begin with.

"Rose, do you know why Arthur was out at midnight?" Alfred asked, not really expecting an answer. Arthur didn't live with his mother and father, but with his eldest brother, so the possibility of Rose knowing the reasons behind her son's whereabouts was very unlikely.

Rose shook her head, "I don't know. I assumed you would know."

Alfred bites his bottom lip and looks down, "Oh."

Rose gently places a hand on Alfred's cheek and lifts his head, "Alfred, sweety, how are you doing? Have you been well? It's okay to cry, you know."

Rose was like a second mother to Alfred. Ever since Arthur and Alfred were children, Rose would treat Alfred as if he were his own son, and she treated him even more like a son when he figured out that Arthur was dating Alfred.

Alfred shakes his head, "I'm fine. And I don't need to cry. Arthur wouldn't like it if I cried."

Rose pursed her lips, but before she could say anything, the bailiff walked in.

"All rise."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

_**Three Years Ago…**_

Middle school came quickly and Arthur had grown up much too quickly for his mother's liking. Though he was a bit on the shorter side and he had a slim figure, he was very prideful. His father wasn't pleased at all with how small Arthur was, so he would often take Arthur to the gym and make him lift some weights to gain muscle mass, but Arthur was never that interested. Instead, Arthur would always wander off and go find a treadmill or something to help keep him in shape.

Alfred would constantly meet up with the two at the gym and try to help Arthur out with his workouts, but Arthur was very much against the attention Alfred attempted to give him. He always felt too embarrassed when it came to working out around Alfred. He felt inferior to his friend, since he was taller and had a much stronger build than himself.

"Hey Arthur, want to go down to the swimming pool?" Alfred had asked one day. Arthur had already declined all of Alfred's other offers of helping him train. The thirteen year olds were currently wandering around the gym, finding something to do.

Arthur made a disgusted face, "I don't have any swim trunks."

Alfred smiles, "I have extras! And they have little string thingies around the waist so you don't have to worry about them being too big! Come on, Arthur please? It'll be fun."

Arthur tried to deny Alfred once again, but the taller blonde was giving him those puppy dog eyes that never failed to make Arthur's heart melt with guilt.

"Fine…" The two boys went into the changing rooms to change into their swim trunks, which Arthur felt completely foolish in. The trunks were probably two sizes too big and they reached his knees. He had to tie the strings around his waist once in order for the trunks to stay secure, but even then he was still a little bit uncomfortable. Oh, how Arthur wished he had a body like Alfred… his body was perfectly sculpted and he had just turned 13 not too long ago. He also just recently started puberty so how the hell does he manage to look so good without even trying?

"Looking good, Art!" Alfred beamed at his smaller friend and took his hand, "Come on! Let's go swimming!"

Arthur blushes and grumbles, letting Alfred pull him along toward the indoor swimming pool. It was an empty pool since it was starting to get late and the lifeguard didn't seem to be all that interested in what was going on since there weren't many people around to watch over. Arthur noticed there was a hot tub over in the corner and a room that led to a sauna next to it. Arthur points over at the hot tub, "I'll be over there."

But before Arthur could walk away, Alfred grabs his hand and yanks him toward the deep end of the pool, "Come on, Artie! Hot tubs are for old people!"

Arthur's face began to whiten as he saw the marker at the end of the pool that read 10 feet. Oh bloody hell. He was going to die. He was going to die a horrible, horrible death in a watery grave.

Arthur started to debate whether he should tell Alfred about his inability to swim, but decided against it for it would only be one more thing Alfred would have over him. Maybe if he just doggy paddled? That would just make him look like a fool though.

"Um, Alfred…"

"Jump, Artie! Or I'll make you jump," he gives Arthur a wink and places a hand on Arthur's back.

Arthur gulps, "Wait, Alfred, I have to tell you something…"

Alfred just laughs, "Can it wait! Let's jump together dude! One, two, three!"

Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and yanked him into the water. Arthur started to panic and immediately let go of Alfred's hand and his eyes shot open underneath the water. He started to kick but to no avail. Where the bloody hell was the surface?

Arthur started to freak out even more when he felt his foot touch the bottom and he started to kick harder. Was he doing it wrong? Why wasn't he going up? Was he supposed to flail his arms the other way or something? How does one propel themself in a different direction?

A million questions were swarming through Arthur's head in a frenzied panic. He was running out of air and fast.

Alfred smiled as his head reached the surface and he laughed, "Woo! Wasn't that fun, Artie?"

Alfred's smile faded as he looked around, not finding Arthur anywhere. "Artie?"

Alfred's heart began to race and he frantically started to swim around, looking under the water for any trace of Arthur. The lifeguard noticed Alfred's panicked expression and immediately rushed over to him.

"Hey, kid, what's wrong?" the lifeguard asked.

"M-my friend won't come out of the water!"

That was all Alfred needed to say and the lifeguard was under the water within seconds. Alfred swam over to the edge of the pool, trying not to freak out. Did he kill Arthur? He didn't mean to… He just wanted to have a good time with Arthur…

It seemed like forever for the two to emerge from the water, but when they did, Alfred immediately breathed out a sigh of relief and jumped of the pool. The lifeguard carried the unconscious teenager over to the side and laid him on the ground, and he immediately started to perform CPR. Alfred took this as an opportunity to rush to find Arthur's father.

Arthur ended up being fine, but Alfred ended up having nightmares of watching Arthur drown almost every night for the next month.

The day after Arthur had nearly drowned, Arthur had a football game. Arthur's mother tried to persuade Edward that Arthur needed to rest since he was still shaken and had a fever from the night before, but he wouldn't have it. Edward was ashamed that his son had never learned how to swim and would always refuse to learn since he had a fear of drowning. This event just made Arthur even more scared to learn how to swim.

It had been a long start to the day, and Arthur was already feeling woozy. His eyes were glossy, he was dizzy, and for whatever reason he was breathing heavier than usual. Edward ignored all of this, for he was determined to make sure Arthur was a star athlete and his ideal son.

"Man up, Arthur. This is the first game of the year. Don't make a fool of yourself you feel a little sick."

Arthur nodded and then rushes out to the field with the rest of his teammates for some pre-game practice.

The game started off fine for Arthur. He pushed aside all of his problems for the sole purpose of pleasing his father. Arthur spent the first half of the game doing exceptionally well, but after half-time Arthur was starting to feel woozy. He had refused water when offered at half time. He couldn't look at water without thinking of the incident.

The game had started up and Arthur was moving slower than he had before. He seemed to be having trouble keeping up with the ball and he was starting to get dizzy again. For a second, everything ended up looking like a giant blur to Arthur, but then suddenly he had the ball and he was running. When had this happened? Arthur couldn't recall even running for the ball, much less someone kicking it towards him.

Arthur stumbled over the ball a little bit but quickly regained his balance. He was still moving much slower than usual, and he was so dizzy that he didn't even notice the kid coming at him at high speed. Arthur tried to move, but he ended up tripping over the kid's leg which was already coming down to kick the ball at full force, but ended up kicking Arthur in the leg. Arthur twisted around as fast as he could and in the process, he twisted his already injured leg and fell to the ground lack at sack of potatoes.

"AH!" Arthur grabbed his leg and screamed in pain. The referee immediately called for a timeout and everyone started to swarm Arthur.

The thirteen year old was in so much panic that he ended up coughing and screaming. It was becoming harder to breathe and everybody was starting to get fuzzy looking. The last thing Arthur remember before passing out was the sound of an ambulance and his mother's terrified face.

Rose and Edward were waiting around the hospital for the nurses to allow them to see their son. Rose was absolutely furious and Edward was just sitting there looking grim.

"I told you he was in no condition to play today, Edward! I knew he was still feeling sick! Did you not notice how slow he was moving out on the field?! Honestly, Edward, you are such a moron!" Rose went on and on about how stupid her husband was during the wait. Finally, a nurse came out to greet the Kirkland family with a small smile.

"He will be okay. He managed to break his leg, but unfortunately he won't be able to play soccer ever again… or any other sport that requires stress on his leg. Also, another thing… you told me that he almost drowned yesterday, correct?" the two parents nodded, "There was some water filling up his lungs, making it harder for him to breathe. We are lucky that he found this when he did or he would have drowned. It is very common for people who have nearly drowned to drown later within the next 24 hours. He is very lucky that we were able to save him when we did."

"So… he almost drowned? But…"

The nurse smiles, "No worries, ma'am. I realize that this is very confusing but it is a condition called near drowning that causes a person to drown around 24 hours after the incident had occurred. Normally something like this can cause the lungs to dry out, so if he ever has problems with breathing I need you to contact your doctor immediately."

Edward, being impatient, began to tap his foot with frustration written across his face, "May we see him?"

The nurse nods and leads the couple into Arthur's room. Rose ran over to Arthur's side and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, "How are you feeling, darling?"

Arthur clears his throat and looks at his leg, "My leg hurts and my throat is sore…"

His voice was hoarse and Edward just rolled his eyes at the sight of his son, "They aren't going to let you play sports anymore, Arthur."

Arthur couldn't help but smile slightly at this. Although he hated to disappoint his father, he couldn't stand the sport. Unfortunately for Arthur, Edward caught sight of the smile tugging on Arthur lips and he cursed and left the room in anguish. Arthur's smile vanished and he looked up at his mother with a frown.

"I made him mad…" he whispered to her sadly.

Rose frowned and pulled her son into an awkward hug, "He'll come around eventually, love. He needs to realize that you aren't like your brothers. He is always asking too much of you and he yet to realize this. But I need you to know something Arthur."

Arthur sighs, "What?"

"He does love you. He really does. He wouldn't try so hard if he didn't love you."

Arthur wasn't so sure about this. It seemed like his father was trying to change him so he could gain the ability to love Arthur. That sounded more accurate than what his mother had come up with.

"It seems to me like he's just trying to keep me from being a fag," Arthur muttered.

Rose gasped at her son's choice of words, "Arthur!"

"But it's true isn't it?! Isn't that why he's trying so hard?! Because I'm too girly! Because I like to sew and draw girly, stupid, bloody fairies all the time and he hates it! I can't gain muscle even if I try, and I can't look like the perfect son he wants! He would rather have Alfred as his son anyway…"

Rose looks down at her lap and plays with the hem of her skirt, "Arthur, please… I need you to understand."

Arthur grumbles, "I don't want to talk about it anymore for right now. I'm tired."

Rose nods and gets up, "Alright darling. But if you need me for anything I'll be right outside, okay? I love you."

Arthur didn't respond. Instead he just closed his eyes and tried his best not to cry.

OoOoOoOo

About a week later is when Alfred saw Arthur again. Arthur was at home for the week in order to recover from his fever. Alfred had heard about the incident at the soccer game and instantly felt bad.

Arthur hobbled up to Alfred on his crutches with a small smile, "Hello, Alfred. Do you mind fetching my books from my locker for me? I can't seem to do it without dropping my crutches."

Alfred stared at Arthur for the longest time. Just as Arthur was starting to get confused, Alfred's bottom lip started to tremble.

"Alfred? What's wrong?" Arthur raises an eyebrow.

"I'm so sorry, Arthur… none of this would have happened if I didn't force you into the pool. I should have figured you didn't know how to swim! I could have killed you, Arthur! I'm so sorry!" Alfred's voice started to break and a few tears started to fall.

Arthur gave Alfred a look that screamed for him to stop crying. "Alfred… please don't cry…"

Alfred stood there wiping at his tears, "I'm so sorry, Artie…"

Arthur lazily put his crutches up against the lockers and hobbled over to Alfred, he quickly pulled Alfred in a hug and putting all his body weight against Alfred to keep himself from falling over since he was still not used to the cast.

Alfred hugged Arthur back but stiffened when he heard Arthur sniffling and crying as well. "A-Artie?"

"P-please don't cry, Alfred… I fucking hate it when you cry. It makes me feel so sad and guilty. This wasn't your fault Alfred, okay? So don't blame yourself… so please don't cry anymore okay? Please… I'm fine, now. I'm fine."

Arthur didn't dare tell Alfred about his 'near drowning' incident after the game. He knew better than to add more fuel to the fire. They were extremely lucky that nobody else was around to witness their temporary moment of weakness, so they stayed like that a bit longer.

It was weird how close Arthur felt to Alfred at that moment. It was like they were supposed to be this close. Never had Arthur ever felt like this about another friend. Alfred was definitely a close friend of his… a best friend? Yeah… his best friend.

After a while of standing around and Arthur assuring Alfred that everything was okay now, Alfred went to go help Arthur fetch his books and the two walked off to class together, despite the fact they were both late. They could always use the excuse that Arthur is a cripple, after all.


End file.
